I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
Our political systems are not built for today’s world. ⚖️🌍
We’re living in a polycrisis — a dangerous convergence of climate breakdown, pollution, rising inequality, and water scarcity.
And yet, politicians are stuck prioritising short-term interests.
Political leaders are incentivised to chase headlines and votes, not long-term solutions for people or planet. ⏳📉
This week, 🇫🇷 French President Emmanuel Macron called for the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to be “taken off the table.” In 🇩🇪 Germany, confusion around Chancellor Merz’s stance sparked debate — until his spokesperson clarified he wanted to streamline or slim down (“verschlanken”) the CSDDD (as opposed to abolishing it).
Meanwhile, we saw the release of - yes - another Omnibus, Omnibus IV. Amongst other matters, this one proposes to weaken the EU Batteries Regulation 🔋 by delaying due diligence obligations and cutting back transparency (from annual to every three years).
I’m reminded of a moment when I was diving in Indonesia 🤿. I was in the deep — at 40 metres. It was calm, beautiful, serene. I looked up - above me there was a storm going on — the churn was moving everything around at a dizzying pace. But only at the surface. I stayed serene, and I was moving at a different pace, with a slow current carrying me through the beautiful deep blue.
Things that happen at the surface are just that, they stay at the surface.
Our Be Human Rights Confident Collective this week surfaced this feeling, echoed by a number of practitioners. Of course, we are affected. Companies are wondering whether they continue to implement soft law in the same way as before. Advisors are wondering how they can best advise in light of the rapidly evolving political environment. There are lots of questions, and there is uncertainty.
But across the group, one thing was clear: 👉 We are not going back to a pre-HREDD world.
Human rights and environmental due diligence is here to stay. The tides and waves may shift back and forth — but in the deep, there is a current that is subtle but strong. And it's moving us forward.
There are a number of other deeper developments happening that counter the political headlines. Companies in the UK House of Lords this week saying they continue to implement soft law expectations, even if it is a little more challenging to do. The Antici Group guidance document arguing for reverting to soft law expectations on risk-based scope. And the list goes on.
The companies that will thrive tomorrow are those that can both listen to and adapt to pressing short-term needs, while leading for the future. 🎯🌱
Politicians come and go. But the planet and people stay. 🌍❤️
Thank you to everyone who joined this month’s Collective — it was beautiful. 🙏🏾
To illustrate this, a number of you chose this picture👇 as representing how you are feeling about the state of business and human right today. Yes, there are winds of change, but you have deep roots and you will still be here when the storm passes
Details are below for next month’s collective.
Anna 💫
